Reaction between ethylene and O– ions on the surface of magnesium oxide

Abstract

Interaction between ethylene and O– centres on magnesium oxide surfaces gives a radical having a nearly isotropic hyperfine coupling to two equivalent hydrogen atoms (58 G), a very weak coupling to a single proton, and strong coupling to 13C which indicates nearly unit spin-density in a 2p orbital on a single carbon atom. These results agree with expectation for H2C[double bond, length as m-dash]Ċ– anions, isoelectronic with the relatively stable H2C[double bond, length as m-dash]N radical in every respect. We suggest that after initial abstraction to give H2C[double bond, length as m-dash]ĊH radicals (not detected), ionization of the acidic acetylenic type proton occurs but this remains hydrogen-bonded to the radical anion: H2C[double bond, length as m-dash]Ċ–—HO–.

In contrast, reaction of ethylene oxide with F+s centres on the surface gave H2Ċ—CH2O– radicals.